Envelop.



E. H. SMART.

ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1913.

1,087,513, 7 Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

Wrwsses Invaniari am I WWW EDMUND HODGSON SMART, 0F ALNWICK, ENGLAND.

ENVELOPE.

T0 (ZZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDMUND Honeson SMART, a subject of the King of Great- Britain, residing at Alnwick, Northumben landshire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelops, of which the following is a specification.

It frequently happens that a person receiving letters addressed to another person does not know whet-her there is any necessity to forward the same and either does not wish to open the envelop or has no authority to do so. Vhen no address appears on the outside of an envelop it is customary for the otlicials at the Dead Letter Oflice toopen the envelop of a letter which has not been delivered in order to ascertain the name and address of the sender.

The object of the present invention is to construct an improved envelop in the body of which the letter proper will be absolutely sealed by means of a flap and gum, said envelop having a second flap which may be used to send a message to the servant who may receive the letter or the name and address of the writer of the letter or an ad vertisement, which second flap is also absolutely sealed by means of gum after the first flap has been sealed. Such an envelop does not allow any part of the contents to be seen by the postal authorities or by servants. Should the letter be received by a clerk or servant he can open the second flap in order to read the message thereon without opening the body of the envelop. With such an envelop the second flap cannot be torn off accidentally in the post as might happen if it were only secured by a tongue passing into a slit. I may, however, provide a tongue on the second flap so that this latter may be secured in a temporary manner prior to posting. In order to further secure the contents of the body of the envelop against unauthorized inspection, I provide the flap which is used for closing the body with a small tongue which may be sealed with wax to the body of the envelop without securing the second flap, thereby leaving this latter free to be opened. However, this second message need not be of a private nature but would indicate to the clerk or servant receiving the letter whether it was necessary to forward the letter or what he should do with it.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 2, 1913.

Patented Feb. 1'7, 1914. Serial No. 765,146.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanylng drawlngs, 1n wl11cl1 Figure 1 shows the improved envelop open, and Fig. 2 shows the same completely closed.

In carrying the invention into effect, I employ any ordinary shape of envelop having a container body portion a and provide it with two closing flaps are sealed. The one flap 6 will close the envelop a by means of one strip of gum in the usual manner. Then the message to the person receiving the letter or the name and address or even a postscript or advertisement is or are written or printed on the inside of the second flap 0 after which the second flap 0 is sealed by thesecond strip of gum. A person receiving the letter will flaps b and 0 and two. gummed portlons by means of which the.

know that he can open the outer or second.

flap 0 without seeing the actual letterand will be able to judge whether the letter is of importance. In some cases the outer or second flap 0 may be secured in a temporary manner prior tongue 0 thereon which is passed through a slit 6 in the inner flap Z). The flap is slit 1n a semi-circle at c which passes from the to posting by means of a line of junction of the two flaps b and 0 back to the said line of junction, thereby producing a small flap B attached to the flap 5. The flaps Z) and B are provided with gum b and are closed in the ordinary manner. The flap 0 is provided at its back as viewed in Fig. l, with gum 0 so that when the flap b has been fastened in the usual manner the flap 0 may be turned down and secured by its gum to the outside of the flap b. The flap B may be sealed by a wafer or war; to the body a after the flap 0 has been closed. The second message or name and address of the sender, or advertisement, is or are written or printed on that side of the flap 0 which is not seen when this flap is closed.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. In an envelop for correspondence, the combination of a container body, a flap by which said body is closed, a strip of gum to fasten said flap, a second flap attached di rectly to and in use folded back upon the first mentioned flap, a tongue on the first flap projecting from the line of fold between the two flaps and adapted to be sealed to the said body with wax without securing the second flap, said tongue being produced by a slit in the second flap, which slit passes from the fold line of junction of thetwo flaps into said second flap and back to the said line of junction, and a second strip of gum for fastening the second flap, substantially as set forth.

2. In an envelop for correspondence, the combination of a container body, a flap by which said body is closed, a strip of gum to fasten said flap, a second flap attached directly to and in use folded back upon the first mentioned flap, a second strip of guru for fastening the second flap, a tongue on the first mentioned flap projecting from the line of fold between the two flaps and adapted to be sealed to the said body with wax without securing the second flap, said tongue being produced by a slit in the second flap passing from the fold line of junction of the two flaps into the second flap and back to the said line of junction, a tongue on the second flap by which this latter is held and a slit in the body to receive this last inentioned tongue, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND HODGSON SMART. Witnesses:

JAMES C. FRASER, GHAs. IsAAos.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

